The following article contains spoilers from DC vs. vampires #8, on sale now.
Batgirl might want to kill Nightwing, but DC vs. vampires #8 (by James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Pierluigi Casolino, and Tom Napolitano) questions whether she can muster the strength to keep it up. During a dream, Batgirl was prepared to kill Nightwing, but when she finally came face to face with him, she succumbed to her lingering feelings for him. What’s even more disturbing is that she seemed eager for Nightwing to turn her into the Vampire Queen.
This suggests that Batgirl may be harboring doubts about the viability of the human cause. In addition, it also shows a potentially power-hungry side of her that has never been seen before. She woke up from the dream in shock, but the fact that her subconscious manifested such a scenario proves that joining the vampires is never far from Batgirl’s mind. The question now is whether she will try to make this dream come true or not.
It’s no surprise that Batgirl still has a crush on Nightwing. The two love each other, but Nightwing’s betrayal and the establishment of a vampire kingdom twisted those feelings of love into bitterness. However, desire does not distinguish between love and hate. Batgirl still has some kind of feelings for him, and seeing what he’s accomplished in such a short time is a temptation she now struggles with.
Part of what makes this particular apocalypse so terrifying is that it turns loved ones against each other. Brother fights brother, children fight parents, and in this case lovers fight each other. It would be more troubling if Batgirl failed to hold on to any love for Nightwing, even after what he has become.
Unfortunately for everyone, these feelings may compromise Batgirl’s ability to follow her mission. She may have set out to put Nightwing down, but when she finally comes face to face with him, she may not be able to finish him off. Given how the story is progressing, Batgirl seems to be the one most likely to kill Nightwing, so her doubts about it could spell doom for what’s left of humanity.
Then there is the political aspect to consider. Nightwing’s betrayal killed a great many heroes and left the survivors with a collection of leaders unaccustomed to being in such a position. Even now, the various surviving heroes and villains cannot agree on a course of action. Batgirl has spent months arguing with her remaining allies about various plans of attack, and it’s clear that the stalemate is getting on all their nerves.
You could hardly blame her for wanting to be Nightwing’s queen. There would only be one person above her, one person she would love and trust, everyone else would have to obey her commands whether they liked it or not. It might not even be about being listened to either, getting a taste of true authority might be a bit dependent on her, and knowing that it would never reach beyond the survivors of humanity, a small kingdom at best, wouldn’t be enough for her. Batgirl may end up being an even bigger tyrant than Nightwing ever was.